Engelmaier Associates, L.C.
Various Professional Momorial Thoughts from Around the World
Hot Wires (from Circuits Assembly)
Blog Entry by Mike Buetow
Loss of a Legend Posted on April 18, 2011 by Mike Werner Engelmaier, a man I have known for 20 years, died Friday on a trip to Jordan.
News of his passing stunned and saddened me. Werner was a force: a man of unmistakable integrity, commitment, intelligence and fearlessness.
Werner had attained guru status before I even had entered the industry. In the mid 1990s, while on the technical staff at IPC, I often was left with a long list of faxed questions (you read that right: our boss at the time didn’t like phone calls from those pesky customers) from process engineers mystified by one specification or another. Werner became one of my go-to guys, and always took the time to explain the thinking behind the standards. Who knows how many engineers thought I knew what I was talking about when in fact, I was simply quoting Werner.
Appreciating for years his passion for skiing — Werner would often take advantage of flights from his Florida home to the West Coast by stopping off at one of his favorite mountains — I once mentioned how much I liked the Snowbird resort outside Salt Lake City. Werner laughed, and said he preferred a nearby peak, adding he had a saying, “I ski Alta, and I give you the ‘Bird’ ” a tongue-in-cheek reference to the one-finger salute.
That was Werner. He had his opinions — be it Alloy 42 or lead-free soldering — and stuck to them, insisting on data above politics and the path of least resistance. He was patient and respectful, but he carried that trait to which all journalists aspire: He spoke truth to power.
And, as his son Peter said, he was “reliable” in every sense of the word. It was strange not seeing Werner at IPC Apex last week. It was the first time I can remember him missing an IPC meeting (and I know why he did, although I’m not going to write it here). Instead, he gave a two-day seminar in Israel, then flew to Aqaba, Jordan, to go scuba diving. In his absence, he still received a pair of awards for work on newly released IPC standards.
I will miss a lot of things about Werner: his sense of humor and smile, his tenacity, his mind. But mostly, I will just miss him.
About Mike Mike Buetow is editor-in-chief of Circuits Assembly magazine, the leading publication for electronics manufacturing, and editorial director of UP Media Group, for which he oversees all editorial and production aspects. He has more than 19 years' experience in the electronics industry, including six years at IPC, a electronics trade association, at which he was a technical projects manager and communications director. He has also held editorial positions at SMT Magazine, community newspapers and book publishing. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois. View all posts by Mike → This entry was posted in Hot Wires and tagged Werner Engelmaier. Bookmark the permalink. ← Chowing Down No Silver Lining → 6 Responses to Loss of a Legend
Global SMT and Packaging
World's leading expert on electronics reliability will be sorely missed
Written by Heather Lackey Saturday, 23 April 2011 06:52
It is with great sadness that we report the sudden death of our friend, colleague and Global SMT & Packaging columnist, Werner Engelmaier. He died while scuba diving in Jordan on Friday, April 15th.
Werner was universally recognized as the world’s leading expert on electronics reliability. He arrived in the United States from Hungary around 1956. His formative years were spent working for Bell Labs, which was renowned for some of the best scientific research the US ever produced. He contributed extensively to IPC Standards and technical committees and was inducted into the IPC Hall of Fame.
A Memorial Mass celebrating the life of Werner Engelmaier, 72, of Ormond Beach, FL will be held on Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 3:00 p.m. in St. Mary Catholic Church, 89 St. Mary’s Place Bunnell, FL 32110.
Werner Engelmaier was born on February 7, 1939 in Vienna, Austria the son of the late Karl M. and Henrietta K. Engelmaier. Mr. Engelmaier graduated from TECHNOLOGISCHES GEWERBE-MUSEUM, Vienna, Austria, the University of South Carolina, and MIT.
Mr. Engelmaier was a world-renowned engineer in electronic packaging working for his own firm Engelmaier Associates after retiring from a 24-year career at AT&T Bell Laboratories. He won numerous awards in his field and was nicknamed “Mr. Reliability” for his work in solder reliability. Werner authored over 200 technical publications and holds two patents and has a mathematical equation named after him. He won the IPC Presidents Award in 1988, was inducted into the IPC Hall of Fame in 2003 and was bestowed the GM-Exner Medal by the Austrian Government in 2009.
He was an active member of St. Mary Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, was a Life Member of the First Aid Squad in Mendham Twp. NJ. Werner was a Renaissance man who traveled the world many times over. He was an avid skier, tennis player, cyclist, scuba diver, sailor and developing golfer.
A wonderful husband, loving father and Opa he will be greatly missed by all of his family and friends. He is survived by his loving wife of 49 years Osie, two children Heide Lehning and her husband John of Phoenixville, PA., Peter Engelmaier and his wife Christine of Savannah, GA, six grandchildren, Katie, Matthew, Abbie, Peter, Christian, and Lily. Preceding him in death were his Parents, brother Heimo and his wife Gitti Engelmaier, of Vienna Austria and JP Lehning his grandchild.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to St Mary Church of Bunnell, FL, or The Mendham Township First Aid Squad of NJ. For online condolences go to www.craigflaglerpalms.com “Online Obituaries.” Arrangements are in the care and trust of Craig-Flagler Palms Funeral Home.
Comments +5 # Trevor Galbraith 2011-04-18 17:38 Werner was a true inspiration to thousands of engineers across the world. He will be sorely missed. He had a zest for life and was never short of an opinion. We were colleagues and friends for 22 years. We never did get around to writing that book together - rest in peace my friend. Reply | Reply with quote | Quote +1 # Rick Short 2011-04-18 21:24 All of us in this industry owe Werner a huge debt of gratitude. His diligent work, since the '60s, contributed strongly to our current state of progress and quality.
Thank you, Mr. Reliability! Reply | Reply with quote | Quote +4 # Dennis Derfiny 2011-04-18 22:02 Werner epitomized such a strong zest for life that you felt years younger just by reading the exploits in his periodic travel updates. He never sat still. He was as good a friend as he was an industry expert and his letters and thoughtful discussions will be sorely missed. Our warm thoughts and prayers go out to Osie and all of his family. Reply | Reply with quote | Quote +3 # Olli Salmela 2011-04-27 10:07 Really sad news! My condolences to Werner's family!
Werner was a really dedicated scientist and a great tutor. His prediction models were - and still are - a major contribution both for the industry and the science community. Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
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SolderTec Global
Mr Reliability' Werner Engelmaier passes away Release date: 27 Apr 2011 The electronics reliability research community has been deeply saddened by the sudden loss of a world-leading expert in the field. Nicknamed 'Mr Reliability', Werner Engelmaier was a frequent presenter at conferences and contributor to several journals and online forums.
Werner, who was 72, died whilst scuba diving in Jordan on April 15th. He was an avid sportsman.
During his 50-year career, Engelmaier developed the first creep-fatigue models for the most common lead-free solders. He was an outspoken critic of the movement to lead-free solders, arguing that such a transition should follow, not precede, extensive reliability testing.
He was well-known to us here at Soldertec and will be sadly missed.
*****************************************************************************************************
PCB007
"Mr. Reliability" Werner Engelmaier PassesSaturday, April 16, 2011 | Ray Rasmussen, I-Connect007
I received a call Saturday morning from Joe Fjelstad with the sad news that Werner Engelmaier died while SCUBA diving, one of the things he loved to do. Werner was born on February 7, 1939. He is survived by his wife Dolores, two children and grandchildren.
As more information becomes available, we’ll post it here. Also, if you would like to comment on the life of this remarkable man and great contributor to our industry, please send your comments to me at: ray@iconnect007.com. He will be missed.
(See comments at the end of this article)
The following was gathered from his website.
In the 24 years before his retirement in 1990 from AT&T Bell Telephone Laboratories, Werner Engelmaier dealt with many of the aspects involved in electronic packaging and interconnection technology. His efforts within the Bell System/AT&T ranged from R&D at Bell Labs to 'fire-fighting' at Western Electric and included the development of specifications and guidelines as well as the technology transfer to production facilities.
Since founding Engelmaier Associates, L.C. in 1990, Werner Engelmaier has consulted on applications ranging from medical implants to computers, aircraft, automobiles, satellites and down-hole drilling.
Werner has been very active in industry organizations. He established the Product Reliability Main Committee of the IPC and has been its chairman since its inception. Under his leadership, such industry documents as IPC-SM-785 "Guidelines for Accelerated Reliability Testing of Surface Mount Solder Attachments," IPC-D-279 "Design Guidelines for Reliable Surface Mount Technology Printed Board Assemblies", and IPC-9701 "Performance Test Methods and Qualification Requirements for Surface Mount Solder Attachments" were developed. He is the vice-chair of the IPC Plated-Through Hole/Via Reliability and the IPC Plated-Through Hole/Via Post Separation Task Groups. He is the past chairman of the IPC Metal/Copper Foil Committee, and has been an active member of the IPC Technical Committees on Flex Circuits, Molded Printed Boards, Surface Mount Land Patters, Soldering, Test Methods, as well as the Technical Activities Executive Committee. He is a member of IEC Technical Advisory Groups TC 52, Printed Circuits, and TC 91, Surface Mount Technology. He is a Past Director of the International Electronics Packaging Society (IEPS), and served on the Editorial Advisory Board of Electronic Packaging & Production Magazine. He also served as Past Chair of the ASTM Ductility Testing and Definitions Committees and Past Secretary of ASTM Main Committee E-28 on Mechanical Testing.
He is the author of over 210 technical publications and holds two patents. He has been the recipient of many honors and awards, including the IPC President's Award in 1988, the Electronic Packaging Achievement Award, jointly awarded by IEPS (now IMAPS) and Electronic Packaging & Production Magazine in 1987, and the Distinguished Technical Staff Award from Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1986. He was inducted into the IPC Electronic Packaging Hall of Fame in 2003, is a Fellow of IMAPS (International Microelectronics and Packaging Society), and was bestowed the TGM-Exner Medal by the Technologisches Gewerbe Museum and the Government of the Republic of Austria in 2009. For two of his developments he received R&D-100 Awards in 1978 and 1981 from Research & Development Magazine. He further received the IPC Outstanding Committee Service Award in 1997; an IPC Special Recognition Award in 1997; 15 IPC Committee Service Awards from 1997 to 2009 ; and Best Paper Awards at IEEE ECC Conference in 1971, IEPS Conference in 1990, and Surface Mount International in 1991.
Comments
It is with great sadness, I am letting you know my father passed away on 4/15/2011. He was known as "Mr. Reliability" in his industry. This aptly described his personal life too. A better husband, father, and Opa could not exist. He was a Renaissance man and he didn't let us down in his final hours. He passed in Aqaba, Jordan scuba diving. He lived life to the fullest and was a great example to all. Dad will be missed.
http://craigflagler.typepad.com/online_obituaries/
Peter Engelmaier
Such a sad day. As a Reliability Engineer, I can't tell you how many times I've read and re-read Werner's articles and presentations. His work has steered my career, and I've never met anyone else in the industry that I really wanted to be more like. I've attended several IPC seminars and always enjoyed his presentations. I've also been lucky enough to have him come in as a consultant just two months ago. He was a brilliant Engineer, and just an all around nice guy. He will be sorely missed.
Andy Stearns,
Reliability Engineer
Murata Power Solutions
For a brief moment in my career, I was on the training circuit, and had a wonderful time with Werner Engelmaier at the PCB Expo '90 in Paris. Also my wife, Emily Hoffman, remembers Werner from his days at the Naval Weapons Center conferences in China Lake, CA. I always thought Werner knew about his subject better than anyone else. I am so thankful I knew him. He always made me a better engineer. I remember his humor, his warmth, his passion for technological truth and his incredible expertise.
Mike Wolverton, P.E
Sr. Principal Multi-Disciplined Engineer
Mixed Signal Packaging & Process Design
Space and Airborne Systems
Raytheon Company
Photos
From Joe Fjestad who attended a conference with Werner, recently in Tallinn, Estonia
*******************************************************************************************
Circuit Assembly
Engelmaier, 'Mr. Reliability,' Passes Away
Written by Mike Buetow Sunday, 17 April 2011 10:20 View Comments ORMOND BEACH, FL -- Werner Engelmaier, perhaps the industry's preeminent expert on solder joint reliability, died Friday. He was 72.
According to his family, Engelmaier died while on a scuba diving trip in Aqaba, Jordan.
Widely known as "Mr. Reliability," Engelmaier made his name during his 24-year tenure at AT&T Bell Labs, where his research investigated electronics packaging and interconnection technology. He was awarded the AT&T Distinguished Technical Staff Award.
While with AT&T, he formed the IPC Product Reliability Main Committee, which wrote such documents as IPC-SM-785, "Guidelines for Accelerated Reliability Testing of Surface Mount Solder Attachments," IPC-D-279, "Design Guidelines for Reliable Surface Mount Technology Printed Board Assemblies", and IPC-9701, "Performance Test Methods and Qualification Requirements for Surface Mount Solder Attachments." He served as a member of IEC Technical Advisory Group, was a director of the International Electronics Packaging Society (IEPS), and chaired various ASTM committees.
Since founding Engelmaier Associates, in 1990, Engelmaier consulted on applications ranging from medical implants to computers, aircraft, automobiles, satellites and down-hole drilling.
He authored more than 200 technical publications and held two patents. During his career, he received the IPC Presidents Award, the Electronic Packaging Achievement Award, and the from Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1986. He was inducted into the IPC Hall of Fame in 2003, and was bestowed the TGM-Exner Medal by the Technologisches Gewerbe Museum and the Government of the Republic of Austria in 2009.
During his 50-year career, Engelmaier developed the first creep-fatigue models for the most common lead-free solders. He was an outspoken critic of the movement to lead-free solders, arguing that such a transition should follow, not precede, extensive reliability testing.
He was an avid outdoor sportsman, enjoying skiing in his native Austria and in Utah.
In a brief note, Peter Engelmaier, Werner's son, said the "Mr. Reliability," nickname aptly described his personal life. "A better husband, father and Opa [grandfather] could not exist. He was a Renaissance man and he didn't let us down in his final hours. He lived life to the fullest and was a great example to all."
He is survived by his wife, Osie; his sister, Heide; and two children.
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Blog Entry by Mike Buetow
Loss of a Legend Posted on April 18, 2011 by Mike Werner Engelmaier, a man I have known for 20 years, died Friday on a trip to Jordan.
News of his passing stunned and saddened me. Werner was a force: a man of unmistakable integrity, commitment, intelligence and fearlessness.
Werner had attained guru status before I even had entered the industry. In the mid 1990s, while on the technical staff at IPC, I often was left with a long list of faxed questions (you read that right: our boss at the time didn’t like phone calls from those pesky customers) from process engineers mystified by one specification or another. Werner became one of my go-to guys, and always took the time to explain the thinking behind the standards. Who knows how many engineers thought I knew what I was talking about when in fact, I was simply quoting Werner.
Appreciating for years his passion for skiing — Werner would often take advantage of flights from his Florida home to the West Coast by stopping off at one of his favorite mountains — I once mentioned how much I liked the Snowbird resort outside Salt Lake City. Werner laughed, and said he preferred a nearby peak, adding he had a saying, “I ski Alta, and I give you the ‘Bird’ ” a tongue-in-cheek reference to the one-finger salute.
That was Werner. He had his opinions — be it Alloy 42 or lead-free soldering — and stuck to them, insisting on data above politics and the path of least resistance. He was patient and respectful, but he carried that trait to which all journalists aspire: He spoke truth to power.
And, as his son Peter said, he was “reliable” in every sense of the word. It was strange not seeing Werner at IPC Apex last week. It was the first time I can remember him missing an IPC meeting (and I know why he did, although I’m not going to write it here). Instead, he gave a two-day seminar in Israel, then flew to Aqaba, Jordan, to go scuba diving. In his absence, he still received a pair of awards for work on newly released IPC standards.
I will miss a lot of things about Werner: his sense of humor and smile, his tenacity, his mind. But mostly, I will just miss him.
About Mike Mike Buetow is editor-in-chief of Circuits Assembly magazine, the leading publication for electronics manufacturing, and editorial director of UP Media Group, for which he oversees all editorial and production aspects. He has more than 19 years' experience in the electronics industry, including six years at IPC, a electronics trade association, at which he was a technical projects manager and communications director. He has also held editorial positions at SMT Magazine, community newspapers and book publishing. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois. View all posts by Mike → This entry was posted in Hot Wires and tagged Werner Engelmaier. Bookmark the permalink. ← Chowing Down No Silver Lining → 6 Responses to Loss of a Legend
- Greg Papandrew says: April 18, 2011 at 11:38 am Thanks Mike–He was an old world gentleman, a patriotic American and a staunch advocate for the PCB manufacturer. I will miss the numerous times we spent sharing good single-malt scotch, discussing politics and talking about PCBs. He was never at a loss for words or opinion and didn’t care what anyone thought–something I truly admired.
- Don Lafferty says: April 18, 2011 at 3:40 pm A tremendous personal loss for all of us who knew Werner and for an industry gasping for visionary technical leadership. I agree, he will be missed.
- Vern Solberg says: April 18, 2011 at 8:30 pm Werner was my friend and colleague for 25 years. Through the years he was my go to guy as well. We worked together on many IPC standards documents through the years, always willing to lend his expertice when asked or keeping us honest when he wasn’t asked. Werner made sure that anything we published in IPC related to product reliability was acurate and concise.
I will truly miss him.
Vern
- Jim Sobestanovich (Sobe) says: April 19, 2011 at 3:16 pm Hello Mike…Just a quick note to let you know I was touched by your spontaneous and heartfelt eulogy for your mentor, Werner Engelmaier; he sounds like he was a great engineer/human being. The word that came to mind when I finished reading your comments was “AUTHENTIC”!
I’ve had the good fortune to meet and know several ‘Werners’ at the various companies and facilities I’ve worked at during my 25 year (wow!) career; I’m always inspired by their brilliance and passion for their ‘craft’, and I always tell myself ‘I hope I find my ‘sweet spot’ job/career, where I can contribute with same enthusiasm and skill as a professional like Werner Engelmaier, or my friend, (the late) Andy Hoff.
Thanks again for sharing your tribute…keep up the great editorial work at ‘PCD&F’!
Respectfully
Jim Sobe
- Rick Short says: April 20, 2011 at 3:00 pm Very nice job, Mike.
Werner certainly earned and deserve such a respectful eulogy.
It is a shame that most new comers to the industry never realize the critical role their predecessors, the pioneers, played in their current day successes. Werner will be seriously underappreciated, as are most pioneers.
Thank you for shining a light on the truth – and for showing the proper respect and appreciation.
- Reza Ghaffarian, Ph.D. says: April 24, 2011 at 3:26 pm Thanks Mike for sharing your experience and thoughts on Werner. May I add to your sincere writing my thoughts since I had worked with Werner side-by-side, as co-chair of IPC 97xx including 9701, for many years. I always appreciated Werner’s thought provoking technical comments even though on occasion my experience was different. He was indeed had deep knowledge and experience and was fearless in expressing them. Recently, I had the opportunity to be with him/other experts on resolution of a key solder joint reliability issue for a space application. At the end of meeting, he told me that “now, I better understood many whys of your space.” I noticed that he summarized his generic thoughts and shared in a blog. I clearly remember that I told to myself, Wow!, the real lesson is: learn and share. At the APEX 6-10d meeting, just couple of day before his passing, a team member approached me and said, “where is Werner since he missed his presence and inputs,” I knew why he was not attending, but I told, hopefully next meeting. Now, I wish that he was there and lead the meeting, hoping that could have avoided such a sad accident. I am slowly accepting the reality of Werner will not be among our technical community and wish peace for his soul and warmth thoughts and support for his family.
Global SMT and Packaging
World's leading expert on electronics reliability will be sorely missed
Written by Heather Lackey Saturday, 23 April 2011 06:52
It is with great sadness that we report the sudden death of our friend, colleague and Global SMT & Packaging columnist, Werner Engelmaier. He died while scuba diving in Jordan on Friday, April 15th.
Werner was universally recognized as the world’s leading expert on electronics reliability. He arrived in the United States from Hungary around 1956. His formative years were spent working for Bell Labs, which was renowned for some of the best scientific research the US ever produced. He contributed extensively to IPC Standards and technical committees and was inducted into the IPC Hall of Fame.
A Memorial Mass celebrating the life of Werner Engelmaier, 72, of Ormond Beach, FL will be held on Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 3:00 p.m. in St. Mary Catholic Church, 89 St. Mary’s Place Bunnell, FL 32110.
Werner Engelmaier was born on February 7, 1939 in Vienna, Austria the son of the late Karl M. and Henrietta K. Engelmaier. Mr. Engelmaier graduated from TECHNOLOGISCHES GEWERBE-MUSEUM, Vienna, Austria, the University of South Carolina, and MIT.
Mr. Engelmaier was a world-renowned engineer in electronic packaging working for his own firm Engelmaier Associates after retiring from a 24-year career at AT&T Bell Laboratories. He won numerous awards in his field and was nicknamed “Mr. Reliability” for his work in solder reliability. Werner authored over 200 technical publications and holds two patents and has a mathematical equation named after him. He won the IPC Presidents Award in 1988, was inducted into the IPC Hall of Fame in 2003 and was bestowed the GM-Exner Medal by the Austrian Government in 2009.
He was an active member of St. Mary Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, was a Life Member of the First Aid Squad in Mendham Twp. NJ. Werner was a Renaissance man who traveled the world many times over. He was an avid skier, tennis player, cyclist, scuba diver, sailor and developing golfer.
A wonderful husband, loving father and Opa he will be greatly missed by all of his family and friends. He is survived by his loving wife of 49 years Osie, two children Heide Lehning and her husband John of Phoenixville, PA., Peter Engelmaier and his wife Christine of Savannah, GA, six grandchildren, Katie, Matthew, Abbie, Peter, Christian, and Lily. Preceding him in death were his Parents, brother Heimo and his wife Gitti Engelmaier, of Vienna Austria and JP Lehning his grandchild.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to St Mary Church of Bunnell, FL, or The Mendham Township First Aid Squad of NJ. For online condolences go to www.craigflaglerpalms.com “Online Obituaries.” Arrangements are in the care and trust of Craig-Flagler Palms Funeral Home.
Comments +5 # Trevor Galbraith 2011-04-18 17:38 Werner was a true inspiration to thousands of engineers across the world. He will be sorely missed. He had a zest for life and was never short of an opinion. We were colleagues and friends for 22 years. We never did get around to writing that book together - rest in peace my friend. Reply | Reply with quote | Quote +1 # Rick Short 2011-04-18 21:24 All of us in this industry owe Werner a huge debt of gratitude. His diligent work, since the '60s, contributed strongly to our current state of progress and quality.
Thank you, Mr. Reliability! Reply | Reply with quote | Quote +4 # Dennis Derfiny 2011-04-18 22:02 Werner epitomized such a strong zest for life that you felt years younger just by reading the exploits in his periodic travel updates. He never sat still. He was as good a friend as he was an industry expert and his letters and thoughtful discussions will be sorely missed. Our warm thoughts and prayers go out to Osie and all of his family. Reply | Reply with quote | Quote +3 # Olli Salmela 2011-04-27 10:07 Really sad news! My condolences to Werner's family!
Werner was a really dedicated scientist and a great tutor. His prediction models were - and still are - a major contribution both for the industry and the science community. Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
****************************************************************************************************
SolderTec Global
Mr Reliability' Werner Engelmaier passes away Release date: 27 Apr 2011 The electronics reliability research community has been deeply saddened by the sudden loss of a world-leading expert in the field. Nicknamed 'Mr Reliability', Werner Engelmaier was a frequent presenter at conferences and contributor to several journals and online forums.
Werner, who was 72, died whilst scuba diving in Jordan on April 15th. He was an avid sportsman.
During his 50-year career, Engelmaier developed the first creep-fatigue models for the most common lead-free solders. He was an outspoken critic of the movement to lead-free solders, arguing that such a transition should follow, not precede, extensive reliability testing.
He was well-known to us here at Soldertec and will be sadly missed.
*****************************************************************************************************
PCB007
"Mr. Reliability" Werner Engelmaier PassesSaturday, April 16, 2011 | Ray Rasmussen, I-Connect007
I received a call Saturday morning from Joe Fjelstad with the sad news that Werner Engelmaier died while SCUBA diving, one of the things he loved to do. Werner was born on February 7, 1939. He is survived by his wife Dolores, two children and grandchildren.
As more information becomes available, we’ll post it here. Also, if you would like to comment on the life of this remarkable man and great contributor to our industry, please send your comments to me at: ray@iconnect007.com. He will be missed.
(See comments at the end of this article)
The following was gathered from his website.
In the 24 years before his retirement in 1990 from AT&T Bell Telephone Laboratories, Werner Engelmaier dealt with many of the aspects involved in electronic packaging and interconnection technology. His efforts within the Bell System/AT&T ranged from R&D at Bell Labs to 'fire-fighting' at Western Electric and included the development of specifications and guidelines as well as the technology transfer to production facilities.
Since founding Engelmaier Associates, L.C. in 1990, Werner Engelmaier has consulted on applications ranging from medical implants to computers, aircraft, automobiles, satellites and down-hole drilling.
Werner has been very active in industry organizations. He established the Product Reliability Main Committee of the IPC and has been its chairman since its inception. Under his leadership, such industry documents as IPC-SM-785 "Guidelines for Accelerated Reliability Testing of Surface Mount Solder Attachments," IPC-D-279 "Design Guidelines for Reliable Surface Mount Technology Printed Board Assemblies", and IPC-9701 "Performance Test Methods and Qualification Requirements for Surface Mount Solder Attachments" were developed. He is the vice-chair of the IPC Plated-Through Hole/Via Reliability and the IPC Plated-Through Hole/Via Post Separation Task Groups. He is the past chairman of the IPC Metal/Copper Foil Committee, and has been an active member of the IPC Technical Committees on Flex Circuits, Molded Printed Boards, Surface Mount Land Patters, Soldering, Test Methods, as well as the Technical Activities Executive Committee. He is a member of IEC Technical Advisory Groups TC 52, Printed Circuits, and TC 91, Surface Mount Technology. He is a Past Director of the International Electronics Packaging Society (IEPS), and served on the Editorial Advisory Board of Electronic Packaging & Production Magazine. He also served as Past Chair of the ASTM Ductility Testing and Definitions Committees and Past Secretary of ASTM Main Committee E-28 on Mechanical Testing.
He is the author of over 210 technical publications and holds two patents. He has been the recipient of many honors and awards, including the IPC President's Award in 1988, the Electronic Packaging Achievement Award, jointly awarded by IEPS (now IMAPS) and Electronic Packaging & Production Magazine in 1987, and the Distinguished Technical Staff Award from Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1986. He was inducted into the IPC Electronic Packaging Hall of Fame in 2003, is a Fellow of IMAPS (International Microelectronics and Packaging Society), and was bestowed the TGM-Exner Medal by the Technologisches Gewerbe Museum and the Government of the Republic of Austria in 2009. For two of his developments he received R&D-100 Awards in 1978 and 1981 from Research & Development Magazine. He further received the IPC Outstanding Committee Service Award in 1997; an IPC Special Recognition Award in 1997; 15 IPC Committee Service Awards from 1997 to 2009 ; and Best Paper Awards at IEEE ECC Conference in 1971, IEPS Conference in 1990, and Surface Mount International in 1991.
Comments
It is with great sadness, I am letting you know my father passed away on 4/15/2011. He was known as "Mr. Reliability" in his industry. This aptly described his personal life too. A better husband, father, and Opa could not exist. He was a Renaissance man and he didn't let us down in his final hours. He passed in Aqaba, Jordan scuba diving. He lived life to the fullest and was a great example to all. Dad will be missed.
http://craigflagler.typepad.com/online_obituaries/
Peter Engelmaier
Such a sad day. As a Reliability Engineer, I can't tell you how many times I've read and re-read Werner's articles and presentations. His work has steered my career, and I've never met anyone else in the industry that I really wanted to be more like. I've attended several IPC seminars and always enjoyed his presentations. I've also been lucky enough to have him come in as a consultant just two months ago. He was a brilliant Engineer, and just an all around nice guy. He will be sorely missed.
Andy Stearns,
Reliability Engineer
Murata Power Solutions
For a brief moment in my career, I was on the training circuit, and had a wonderful time with Werner Engelmaier at the PCB Expo '90 in Paris. Also my wife, Emily Hoffman, remembers Werner from his days at the Naval Weapons Center conferences in China Lake, CA. I always thought Werner knew about his subject better than anyone else. I am so thankful I knew him. He always made me a better engineer. I remember his humor, his warmth, his passion for technological truth and his incredible expertise.
Mike Wolverton, P.E
Sr. Principal Multi-Disciplined Engineer
Mixed Signal Packaging & Process Design
Space and Airborne Systems
Raytheon Company
Photos
From Joe Fjestad who attended a conference with Werner, recently in Tallinn, Estonia
*******************************************************************************************
Circuit Assembly
Engelmaier, 'Mr. Reliability,' Passes Away
Written by Mike Buetow Sunday, 17 April 2011 10:20 View Comments ORMOND BEACH, FL -- Werner Engelmaier, perhaps the industry's preeminent expert on solder joint reliability, died Friday. He was 72.
According to his family, Engelmaier died while on a scuba diving trip in Aqaba, Jordan.
Widely known as "Mr. Reliability," Engelmaier made his name during his 24-year tenure at AT&T Bell Labs, where his research investigated electronics packaging and interconnection technology. He was awarded the AT&T Distinguished Technical Staff Award.
While with AT&T, he formed the IPC Product Reliability Main Committee, which wrote such documents as IPC-SM-785, "Guidelines for Accelerated Reliability Testing of Surface Mount Solder Attachments," IPC-D-279, "Design Guidelines for Reliable Surface Mount Technology Printed Board Assemblies", and IPC-9701, "Performance Test Methods and Qualification Requirements for Surface Mount Solder Attachments." He served as a member of IEC Technical Advisory Group, was a director of the International Electronics Packaging Society (IEPS), and chaired various ASTM committees.
Since founding Engelmaier Associates, in 1990, Engelmaier consulted on applications ranging from medical implants to computers, aircraft, automobiles, satellites and down-hole drilling.
He authored more than 200 technical publications and held two patents. During his career, he received the IPC Presidents Award, the Electronic Packaging Achievement Award, and the from Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1986. He was inducted into the IPC Hall of Fame in 2003, and was bestowed the TGM-Exner Medal by the Technologisches Gewerbe Museum and the Government of the Republic of Austria in 2009.
During his 50-year career, Engelmaier developed the first creep-fatigue models for the most common lead-free solders. He was an outspoken critic of the movement to lead-free solders, arguing that such a transition should follow, not precede, extensive reliability testing.
He was an avid outdoor sportsman, enjoying skiing in his native Austria and in Utah.
In a brief note, Peter Engelmaier, Werner's son, said the "Mr. Reliability," nickname aptly described his personal life. "A better husband, father and Opa [grandfather] could not exist. He was a Renaissance man and he didn't let us down in his final hours. He lived life to the fullest and was a great example to all."
He is survived by his wife, Osie; his sister, Heide; and two children.
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- Andrew Stearns 3 months ago Werner's work has been a great inspiration. He was a great man in the industry and will be sorely missed. 3 people liked this.
- Greg Papandrew 3 months ago He was an old world gentleman, a patriotic American and a staunch advocate for the PCB manufacturer. A very active man (while I don't know all the details of his untimely death) who seemed to have "died with his boots on." I will miss the numerous times we spent sharing good single-malt scotch, discussing polititcs and talking about PCBs. Greg Papandrew, BBG
